No Promises

My Muse is still in mourning. No matter how much I try to goad her in to coming out from under her cloak, she peeks occasionally, but refuses to inspire me. Today, I have plied her with fresh vegetables from the garden, gently sauteed in olive oil, garlic and topped with a chiffonade of fresh, fragrant basil, and a few glasses of lovely Chardonnay. She is mellow. Perhaps now, we can allow the joy, the anguish and the hope to rise to the surface. We shall see, but no promises.

The past few months have been a frenzy of activity. I received a small sum of insurance money after H's passing and, coming from a financial background, I gave some serious thought to how I would best invest the sum of his gift. Given the state of the economy and the abysmal handling by both the current and past administrations, the stock market was absolutely out of the question. Banks at this time are under fire and aren't paying any decent amount of interest, so my leanings were toward real estate. With so many properties, unfortunately, under foreclosure at this time, I began looking to buy a rental property. My younger son, along with his wife and two children had decided to move here and were looking for a place to rent, sooooo, it seemed like the ideal time. DIL, found a candidate in my price range on the internet, and since I knew the realtor, I made an appointment to view the property. My eldest son, who was visiting at the time, came along to help check things out.

To make a long story short, I put in an offer and after a couple of counter offers by the bank, it was mine!

I have spent the past few months running back and forth, 20 miles each way from my home to the rental home. Each day, I would spend it there painting and generally improving the property. My son and family moved in early in July and we have been busy with the ongoing things that need our attention. All in all, the property was in good shape, but as with any property that has stood empty for any length of time, some deferred maintenance was to be expected. And....... it needs some landscaping!!! Right up my alley.

This week has been spent stacking firewood for the coming winter and, with the help of DIL, transplanting two lilac bushes and a huge spirea.


Tomorrow is my birthday, so I've been invited to come over for a celebratory lunch. H and I never celebrated our birthdays, so it will be fun to share it with my family.

Yesterday marked six months without my dearly beloved and I am inconsolable. Life without him is difficult. Even though I am busy with my projects and family, and as much as I love them, nothing can fill the bottomless cavern in my heart. People tell me this will pass but I know better; memories may fade, but they are always with one.


My Muse has indicated she is heading back to her hidey hole, so I will end this post with a smile, but heavy heart. and hope to post again soon.

My hugs to all my family, friends and blogger buddies! I wish you all a wonderful day and please, do not forget to tell your loved ones how very much they mean to you on a daily basis!

Life is one day at a time these days, but still good.

Hugs, Giddy